


Lemonbright

by StrawberryLane



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Age Difference, Established Relationship, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Insecurity, M/M, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Off-screen Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-09-19 05:51:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9421346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrawberryLane/pseuds/StrawberryLane
Summary: "I think we need to talk," Credence says and Graves is sure that the heart attack is really coming.But nothing happens and Credence motions for Graves to sit down in the armchair next to the fireplace. It's Graves' favorite chair and now he'll forever remember it as the chair he was sat in when Credence Barebone left him for a British magizoologist. He's going to have to burn it, isn't he?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Based on [this](http://fantasticbeasts-kinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/459.html?thread=1008843#cmt1008843) prompt from the kinkmeme.
> 
> The title of this fic is from a song called Lemonbright by Talain Rayne and that really has nothing to do with this fic other than the fact that I like the word lemonbright and listened exclusively to the song whilst writing this. I might end up hating it, who knows.

Percival Graves loves Credence. He really does, in the way where his heart feels like it's going to burst out of his chest with fondness every time he looks at the man.

He also knows that Credence loves him. Loves him, truly, madly and deeply. These are the facts. They love each other, simple as.

The thing is, the thing that is gnawing away at Graves' mind deep in the night, when he's supposed to sleep, is that Graves is painfully aware of just how much older he is than Credence.

At forty, he is almost twenty years older than the young man sleeping beside him.

Twenty years is a lot, especially for someone who's only been alive for twenty one.

During the past year, after everything had settled down, Mary Lou Barebone had been buried six feet under, Gellert Grindelwald had been sent to the Azkaban prison in Britain and Credence and Graves begun building their relationship back up, Credence has blossomed into a beautiful young man. He's grown his hair out, into a style that he actually likes and he walks straighter. He no longer flinches if someone comes towards him too fast. He burnt his belt one night, on top of Mary Lou's grave, with Modesty dancing around it. Modesty, who's having the time of her life, living with Tina and Queenie Goldstein, helping out at Jacob's Kalkowski's bakery on the weekends.

All in all, Credence has become a new man. He's much more confident in himself, no longer feels he has to agree with Graves on everything, simply to keep the other man happy. He's still sparing with talking to strangers, but to people he actually knows, he sometimes has trouble actually shutting up.

Logically Graves knows he shouldn't want to have Credence any other way, and he is proud of his boyfriend, make no mistake. But sometimes he finds himself wishing Credence could tone down the brightness that surrounds him these days, just a little bit. He wants to keep Credence to himself, wants to keep him hidden away from the world.

Because he knows Credence is going to leave him.

Credence is going to find someone else. Someone younger, someone who doesn't spend so much time at work, someone who's more open and who is funnier.

He knows it is going to happen, he just doesn't know when.

To his credit, Credence doesn't act like he's even aware of the age gap between them. He's too busy being seduced by the wonders of magic to hold a serious conversation about the fact that Graves has much more life experience than a very sheltered church boy, who's not even twenty five years of age yet.

The conversation has come up a number of times, always with Graves as the initiator.

"I know about sex, Percival," Credence had told him the first time Graves attempted to talk about the fact that he was already working at MACUSA, being an auror, when Credence was being born.

"While I'm glad to hear that, sweetheart, that isn't what I wanted to talk about," Graves had told him, ignoring the way the younger man's cheeks had had blotches of pink of them. Back then, Credence had still had problems with actively making an assumption about what Graves was talking about or wanted, like he expected punishment in case he got it wrong. "There's nothing wrong with not being a mind reader," Graves had told him almost daily. "Loads of people aren't, and they do okay for themselves."

They had had sex many times since that first conversation, and intercourse is perhaps the one area where Graves doesn't feel like he is lacking, for the lack of a better word. Sure, Credence might be younger, and therefore have a younger body and more stamina, but what he lacks in stamina, Graves more than makes up for in knowledge and experience.

Their sex life isn't the problem.

The problem is that Credence is going to leave him one day, no matter how amazing the sex is, because Credence is so much younger and should be with someone closer to his own age. Besides, he's going to get tired of the not so hidden judgmental people who think they have the right to comment on a relationship that isn't their own. Graves knows for a fact that half of the departments at MACUSA thinks he's Credence's sugar daddy.

Credence is going to leave him. It's just facts.

Newt Scamander arrives back in New York on a Sunday afternoon, almost a year and a half since he last visited. He's staying with Tina, Queenie and Modesty, who's very excited to get to explore that special suitcase she's heard so much about. Credence, who went over to the Goldsteins in the morning to see his sister and to meet Newt properly, comes home with a smile bigger than Graves thinks he's ever seen on the other man's face before.

Credence spends the rest of the week going over to visit Newt almost everyday. He says he's visiting Modesty, but Graves has a hard time believing it. After all, Credence has never visited the Goldstein apartment as much as he does the week Newt arrives.

Credence also admits to spending a lot of time with Newt, learning about his creatures, talking about Britain. Apparently Newt, during his time spent in his own country, went up to Hogwarts to speak to Albus Dumbledore, who agreed there might be chance both Credence and Modesty could receive at least some sort of education at Hogwarts. Newt has all these plans on how to make this agreement some sort of reality, something Credence is noticeably happy about.

He seems happier overall, and it's not because of Graves. The older man hasn't done anything, as far as he knows, to make Credence look so blindingly delighted about life.

Graves thinks it must be Newt. Newt Scamander, who, from what Tina tells Graves, has such an easy time connecting to Credence. Newt, who's funny in a dorky sort of way, and endearingly sweet. Newt, who makes Credence laugh. Newt, who might be married to his job, but still manages to be less married to his job than Graves is. Newt, who is much closer to Credence's age.

One night, over dinner, Graves makes a decision. If Credence wants to go back to Britain with Newt, then so be it.

"I know we haven't talked much about this," he tells Credence, "but I want you to know that if you want to go to Britain I'm all for it."

"Really?"

"Yes," Graves answers and Credence's smile is blinding.

"Thank you so much," Credence whispers and Graves feels a piece of his heart die right there.

Graves wants to savor the time he has left with his boyfriend before his boyfriend decides to officially leave him for Newt, but instead he finds himself pulling away. His heart's way of trying to save itself, he thinks.

It's only small things, really. Like encouraging Credence to spend more time with other people, sometimes coming home late from work. Deliberately falling asleep on the sofa instead of in their bed. Turning down sex. Because if Credence doesn't want to be with him, not truly, Graves isn't going to make him think he has to.

But that doesn't mean the confusion on Credence's face doesn't hurt Graves to his very core.

*

Graves knows he's been distant lately, but he hadn't actually thought Credence, in his happy bubble, had noticed it all that much.

Apparently he was wrong.

They're in the dark living room, Credence curled up on the sofa in front of the fireplace, mug of steaming tea in his hands. He's been waiting up, waiting for Graves to come stumbling into their living room, way past his usual time home from work. Way past their usual bedtime. To be honest, Credence almost gives Graves a heart attack when he emerges from beneath the blankets.

"I think we need to talk," Credence says and Graves is sure that the heart attack is really coming.

But nothing happens and Credence motions for Graves to sit down in the armchair next to the fireplace. It's Graves' favorite chair and now he'll forever remember it as the chair he was sat in when Credence Barebone left him for a British magizoologist. He's going to have to burn it, isn't he?

He sits down, forcing himself to look at his young boyfriend. Credence is not looking at him, instead bowing his head and staring at his mug of tea.

"Are you...I'm..." Credence begins, but trails off for a moment. Then, his whole body tenses noticeably, and he straightens his neck to stare straight at Graves.

"Are you being unfaithful?" Credence asks and that is honestly the last sentence Graves ever ever expected to leave his boyfriend's mouth. "Because you could've told me. I would've understood."

When Graves still stares at him silently Credence continues. "I bet she's very beautiful."

"What?"

"Your girlfriend. I bet she's the most beautiful witch there is."

"No. I mean, what are you talking about? Why do you think I'm having an affair?"

"Are you not?"

"No!" Graves slumps into his chair, dragging a hand through his carefully styled hair. "Where on god's green earth did you get that idea?"

"Well..." now Credence suddenly seems unsure. His armor is crumbling, and once again he's staring at his tea instead of looking at Graves. His voice trembles as he talks.

"You've been absent. You're never home anymore. You've been sleeping on the sofa. You turn me down when I want to have sex or when I want to cuddle. I know I'm just a sheltered little child compared to you, but you didn't have to string me along if you didn't want me, if you didn't want us. That's just cruel."

Credence is openly crying now, tears streaming down his face as he angrily, jerkily tries to dry his wet cheeks.

Isn't this a fine mess, if Graves ever saw one.

"Doll," he sighs, dragging a hand across his face. He really needs some whiskey right now. "Can I talk and you listen for a moment?" He waits until Credence indicates that he's willing to listen.

"I thought you were going to leave me," he begins, because he's learned over the years that being blunt is often best in situations like this one.

"Up until five minutes ago, I thought that you were waiting up for me to tell me that you were leaving me for Scamander."

"Why?" Credence is staring at him, wide-eyed. "Why would I do that?"

"I just... You've been over there practically every day since he arrived. And you've been acting so happy, much more than usual. I thought it was him, doing that. When I told you that I was okay with you traveling to Britain with him you agreed without a second thought."

Credence flushes bright red for a second. "I assumed you would come to."

"Oh."

"I didn't even consider you wouldn't realize that."

They sit in silence for a moment.

"What I don't get about this, Percival, is why you thought the solution to this communication problem of ours was to act like you had found someone else behind my back? Because I've spent the last couple of weeks agonizing over the fact that you would leave me and not even tell me why."

"I didn't think you'd see it like that, to be honest."

"What did you think I'd see it as, then?" there’s an edge to Credence’s voice, like he’s preparing to get defensive.

"I thought you were in love with Newt. You've been spending so much time with him. I just figured you were staying with me because you didn't know how to end it just yet, and I thought I'd make it easier on the both of us by pulling away a little."

"But why?"

"I'm old, Credence. I know, I know, we've had this conversation a million times before, but facts remains the same. I have almost twenty years on you, and you've barely reached your own twenties. I figured that eventually, you would find someone closer to your own age to be with."

"I wouldn't do that. I love you. Newt Scamander might be a great friend and a perfect future husband for someone, but not for me. I don't want anyone other than you. I don't care if you're twenty years older than me or five or fourteen. I love you because of who you are as a person, not because of your age. And while we're on the subject, let me just tell you that I love your body, I love the way you get crow's feet when you laugh and I love the way you look when you wear glasses. You know, just in case you decide to get insecure about any of those things and not tell me about it."

"I'm sorry. I won't. I just get so unsure sometimes. You could have anyone you want in the world, why would you chose me?" Graves really, truly, has trouble understanding why Credence would chose him.

"Percival. That choice was easy. The answer is very simple: You saw me when no one else did."

"Except for Tina."

"Except for Tina," Credence laughs, "but she's not really my type."

"So..." Graves hesitates. "Why have you been spending so much time at the Goldsteins these last few weeks, if I may ask?"

"I've been trying to be a better brother to Modesty. There's been a bit of miscommunication there as well. Honestly, I've been avoiding seeing her for so long, because I feel guilty about everything that happened. I know everything turned out all right, but I thought she didn't want to see me. As it turns out, she thought I didn't want to see her."

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you liked it!


End file.
